Railroad water-tank



(No Model.)

J. J. RAY.

RAILROAD WATER TANK. No. 248,884. Patented Nov. 1,1881.

14 Fil WITNESSES: IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT, QFFICE.

JAMES J. BAY, OF HUNTSVILLE, MISSOURI.

RAILROAD WATER-TAN K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,884, dated November1, 1881.

Application filed March 28, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES JAsPER RAY, ofHuntsville, in the county of Randolph and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and Improved Apparatus for Supplying Railroad- Tenderswith Water, and Ido hereby declare that the following is a lull, clear,and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a water-tank arranged at a suitable elevationabove and over the track ot'a railroad, provided with a novelinlet-valve mechanism, and in connectingthe said tank with a naturalwater-reservoir located at an elevation above the tank, so that thewater therefrom will flow by gravitation into the tank until it isfilled to the required height, when' the valve will automatically closeand prevent the water from flowing continuously from the reservoir, andthereby exhaust and waste the water that could otherwise be used.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation, showingthe arrangement of the tank above the track and its connections with thespring; and Fig. 2, a sectional elevation of a water-tank provided withmy improved valve mechanism.

The receivingwater-tank,A rests upon posts B, arranged upon oppositesides of the track, so that the said tank will be supported directlyover it. A supply-pipe, 0, passes through and extends above thebottom'ot' the tank a short distance, and communicates with a spring,pond, or other natural water-reservoir, I), located at a sufficientelevation above or at any required distance from the water-tank, so thatthe water will flow into the tank by the force of gravitation.

In dry districts, where water is scarce and the springs have but ameagre flow, it is difficult to obtain sufficient water to supply theengines of a railroad, and it is important to prevent the wasteful flowof the water.

In order that the water-tank may be filled Without overflowing, theupper end of pipe in- (No model.)

the tank is covered by a valve, E, secured to the end of a lever, F,thatis hinged in its middle to standards G G, and is also hingedat itsother end to an air-tight sheet-metal box, I, that serves as a float,and is arranged a suitable distance from the bottom of the tank to closethe opening at the end of the pipe when the tank has become sutficientlyfull, the buoyancy of the float being sutficient to overcome the head orforce of the inflowing water. A cord, H, is attached to the valve end ofthe lever F and passes over a pulley, I, and down to the side of thetrack within convenient reach of the engineer upon the train, by whichmeans the inlet-valve F may be lifted if the valve should becomeinoperative because of the derangement of the float. An outlet-pipe, K,ofleather or other flexible material, is attached to the bottom ofthetank, and may be placed in connection with the water tank of the tenderto till it in the usual manner.

Where water is only obtainable from wells located a considerabledistance from the track it may be pumped up by windmills or otherweltknown means to a reservoir, L, arranged a suitable distance abovethe supply-tank A, above described, to allow the water to tlow from theone to the other.

\Vhat I claim as new is- In an apparatus for supplying locomotivetenderswith water, consisting of a reservoir connected by pipes with asupply-tank supported above and over the track, the combination, withthe said tank, of the valve E, secured to one end of a lever, F, pivotedto the tank, a float, I, hinged to the other end ot'the lever, and acord or other suitable means secured to the valve-lever for operatingit, substantially as and for the purpose described.

J. J. RAY.

Witnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMON, GHAs. A. Pn'r'rrr.

